Dental Anxiety: Knowing How to Calm Your Nerves

Posted July 20, 2015.

Many people are terrified of the dental office, and if you could be considered as one of these people, we are here to help you! To have the best dental experience possible, we suggest doing the following things:

• Have someone you love and trust come with you to your dental appointment. That way, you will have someone you are comfortable with sitting next to you during your treatment.

• Try staying calm by doing relaxation techniques. If you control your breathing, your heart rate will slow down and you will feel more relaxed. You can control your breathing by taking a deep breath, holding it for a couple seconds, and slowly letting it out.

• Bring some music to your appointment. Better yet, bring some new music. That way you will focus more on the music rather than the dentist and the treatment. You can also watch television or you can have your friend or family member tell you stories.

• Establish a key word or signal with your dentist. If you come up with a code word or signal for “stop,” like raising your hand or making a unique noise, your dentist will know when to stop the treatment and when to give you a break.